I'm just thinking, but you know the cliche where the girl walks in on her guy being forced into a lip-lock with a hateful ex? What do you think this Ana would do if, say, she walked in just in time to see Elena pressing herself against Christian?

The idea for them to make the video was what initially got me started on this story... but at the moment, the story isn't flowing exactly according to plan, which means, I'm probably going to cut a little of their filming time and move it to the sequel or make it an outtake or something.

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To Guest that said: This Ana is such a Mary Sue. Yawn.

Really? Why? Or, how? I thought she doesn't lack complexity, which in my mind, makes her a little more real... If you're still reading, can you please explain? I truly don't care if you think she's "such a Mary Sue", she can be that for all I care. Oh, and please don't fall asleep from reading this story before you got a chance to reply. I'm really only interested in the reply from you :)

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To Guest that understands me the best:

Man, you're the best! You just get me! I totally believe what your mother says, and I also believe that you should only bear your souls once in your lifetime, hence they're doing it now (early in the days to get it out of their way), which also shows just how much they're investing in this relationship. I am so glad that someone understands this story. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing, I hope you're still reading this story even though I haven't update it in a while.

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To Guest that said: Just checking to see if you're ok

I'm still alive, but I've had better days. Thanks for checking up on me. I'm just a little overwhelmed by recent RL events, that's all.

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All mistakes are mine, and this is a work of pure fiction, conjured out of my own imagination.

NINTH HOUR

He was fifteen when he met the woman, and he never was a fan of her. In his view, the entire family couldn't see a single shiny spot in Elena's person, but everyone kept their mouths shut because Grace seemed to like her.

It wasn't until the summer that he was due to leave for Harvard that her parents confronted him. Elliot had made a stupid comment about how an old lady had tried to seduce him when he was young, then he let it slip that it was Elena. Christian could murder him for spilling the beans, because his encounter with Elena had disgusted him and he had learned to channel his anger through kickboxing. And now, Elliot had dug up the dirt, so his parents decided to confront him.

Christian was surveying his room one last time to make sure that he didn't forget anything. He wasn't the most organized, but he was private and as someone who valued his privacy, he needed to make sure that he had hid everything. Not that he had anything to hide, but he just didn't want to leave anything on the surface for people to look at.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. He turned around to look at the slowly opening door. His family had gotten used to knocking before entering without him answering.

"Mom," he called when he recognized the woman who entered the room.

"Hey," she greeted back. "Do you have everything?"

"Yeah, I think so." He looked around once again and turned back, sighing, he took a seat on the edge of his bed waiting for her to join him. He was leaving for Cambridge, Massachusetts tomorrow and it was his last night with his family because he insisted on going to college himself.

"Can I talk to you?" Grace asked tentatively. From the look on her expression he knew it wasn't a small talk that she was looking for. Nodding just as warily, he scooted to the side to invite her to the bed.

"What do you want to talk about?" He prompted, somehow realizing that he wasn't going to like their impending talk. When she didn't speak, he ruffled his head in frustration, having already guessed the topic. "Mom, stop beating around the bush. Just- tell me."

"Is it true?" She asked.

"What is?" He knew what she was talking about but he was just stalling time right now. He could kill Elliot for that slip and for him to open his big mouth.

"What Elliot said," she said.

Usually, Christian would say that Elliot had said too much over dinner but this time, he had only made one comment, unfortunately, the one that he wasn't supposed to say.

Christian sighed, leaning forward with his elbow on his knee. "Yeah," he breathed out. "It is," he confirmed.

"So, Elena did make a move on the two of you." It was more of a statement than a question, but it was still a statement that needed an answer. He nodded for confirmation.

"Elliot turned her down," he decided to tell her about the one mistake that he had regretted and would be regretting for the rest of his life. It was a one-time thing for him but it was still evidence that he had given into hormones. He only accepted because he was horny and was unable to find a girl who would be fine to have sex with him without being able to touch him. He had made too many mistakes in his life, but this would be the only one that he'd ever regret.

"What about you?" His mom asked even though his silence had been pretty obvious that he got lured by the bait.

"It only happened once, I swear."

"You were only fifteen, Christian. Oh dear, she seduced you." Grace sank into herself, he could see the gears turning in her mind and the start of the self-blaming that he wanted to avoid.

"Mom, it's not your fault. Stop blaming yourself. I regret it ever since. I shouldn't have accepted it but I was horny and," he huffed, finding it hard to believe that on his last day at home before college, he was sitting in his room telling his mom about his sex life. "She threw herself at me."

"Oh, Christian." Grace raised her hand wanting to run it down his back only to remember that he didn't like to be touched. Silently, she was berating herself for confiding so much to Elena, but at that time, she thought as long as Christian stayed away from her, everything would be okay.

Christian told himself that he was going to stay away from that vile woman, and that he would never participate in the lifestyle that she wanted to introduce him to.

BDSM.

No, he was going to focus on his studies and become a successful businessman that he envisioned himself to be. He double majored, taking mathematics with economics thinking that business studies weren't exactly useful for an entrepreneur because it was all in theory. He knew if he wanted to blend into the real world, he would have to have more practical knowledge than business management and economic theories.

However, this is where he was wrong. He thought he could cope with the stress that he was facing during the time when he was building his empire, but it turned out that he couldn't and he was looking for an outlet other than punching bags and doing sports.

So, he ended up at a club in New York when he was there for a conference meeting. It wasn't just any club, it was a sex club, exclusive and only for people who participate in a specific lifestyle — the one that he was so determined to avoid. It wasn't until he observed a few pairs that he realized that what the woman had done to him was borderline on the extreme of the lifestyle.

After a few visit to clubs like that, he found a club suitable to him in Seattle, only to be approached by the same woman that he had be trying to forget and avoid since before he left for college.

It had been almost five years and she still looked like the same ugly rug that she was.

"Christian?" She called, and he turned around, regretting doing so the second he recognized the person walking toward him. "I thought that was you." She reached out wanting to place her hand on his arm but he jerked his limbs away from her and took a step toward the exit. "You're so jumpy. I knew you'd be stressed." She commented at the scowl on his face that wasn't caused by stress but by her. "Have you been in this lifestyle for long?"

He wanted to walk away because he couldn't afford to have his name linked to this lifestyle in any way shape or form, even though he wasn't yet famous or successful, but he was getting there, and he had to build a solid foundation.

If he walked away at that moment, he knew there would be a chance for Elena to open her big fake mouth to talk.

"No," he replied tersely.

"How about I show you around? We can catch up, for old time's sake." She suggested.

He contemplated for a second but if he wanted her mouth shut and sealed, he would have to talk to her and get her to sit down to sign an NDA. So, he followed her deeper into the club and sat down at a table with her.

At that time, he didn't really think much after Elena signed the NDA. He didn't know why he took the offer from Elena about helping him find girls fitting to his preferences, but he also wasn't seeing it as something wrong either. He just thought she was helping and he didn't really care what she did unless she exposed him. He was only glad that his parents weren't aware of his kinky preferences and his unexplainable attraction to brunettes.

In hindsight, especially after saying everything out loud and telling Anastasia, he realized that he wasn't listening to his gut which warned him to stay away from Elena. He should've walked away and never allowed her to become his pimp, because if he was cautious he would dismiss the thought of having a pimp immediately.

Elena was cut off by Grace, but that didn't mean she didn't have other friends or submissives. She still have people in her hands and she could still control some thick-headed man who would submit to woman like her.

The first problem of accepting Elena's offer surfaced when he met his second submissive. Everything looked normal at the beginning. They weren't introduced by Elena but she was recommended by her. They met on his demand just like he did with the very first one. He had done an extensive background check on her just to make sure that she wasn't associated to Elena in any kind of way other than knowing her as an acquaintance.

Negotiation the contract, signing it and agreeing to a three-month term wasn't the problem. Engaging in sexual act and meeting in clubs also wasn't a problem to the couple, but when he built his own playroom at his new penthouse and invited her to his house, the problem showed itself.

It was a month into their contract, and today would be the first day for his personal playroom in the newly renovated penthouse to be used. He couldn't be more excited. Though, he had only been a Dom for a number of years, and only had two contracted submissives, but he thought he was experienced enough considering his countless visits to all the clubs.

He was going to talk to Jessica about changing a small part of their contract. Before, they had set aside time to meet up in the club every weekend. Same place same time, it never change. Now that he had built his very own playroom, he had decided to alter the terms a little and extend their play time from once a week to twice a week on both days during the weekend.

Jessica Solano was a petite brunette with pale skin, she was from up North but had been living in the South for the better part of her life. She was older than him in age but not maturity. Her appearance was exactly what he was looking for in a submissive.

However, there was a cunning and mischievous look hidden beneath her dull brown eyes, the only shining spot in her otherwise boring, monotoned irises. Though, he didn't realize that at first because he never allowed his submissives to raise their eyes to his level, finding it too intimate.

Just because they were at his house didn't mean that the same rules at the club didn't apply, but for some reason, Jessica seemed to think that since they weren't under the watchful eyes of other Dominants, they could try something different. It annoyed him to no end that she would always attempt to elicit a punishment out of him by breaking their rules intentionally.

And, whenever she broke a rule, she would tell him:
"I thought this only applied to the club, Master." She purred. One look at her and he would know that she had done it on purpose knowing that she would be punished by it.

When she thought he wasn't looking, he could see and feel her contempt against him. Just because she was more experienced than he was, having been in this lifestyle longer, didn't mean that she got to judge him and tell him how a Dominant should act. He had let it slide the first few times placating himself that it was her resting bitch face and her natural expression.

He ended their contract effective immediately and kicked her out of his apartment. She gifted him a song, performed for him albeit to his disgust, he accepted it per the agreement of the contract.

What he would never imagine was that their paths would cross again, and it would look like it had her name written all over it…

…

Meanwhile in his bed, Christian felt something moving beside him. For some reason, he couldn't fall asleep. He felt giddy when Anastasia took it upon herself to rummage through his closet trying to find something to wear for sleep. When she walked out of his closet wearing his Harvard shirt that reached her thigh, just long enough to cover up her panties, leaving her two legs bare.

She crawled into the bed, he lifted up the blanket inviting her under. She took the chance to observe his attire. He was in a t-shirt and his boxers brief, still looking edible and delicious.

"Stop checking me out and get into bed, woman." He demanded, snapping her out of her daze. She wasn't exactly staring at him admiring him but she looked like she was staring because she was tired.

Shaking her head, she joined him with wearing a tired smile. Sitting next to his lying figure, she found it somewhat weird that this man was her dominant just eight hours ago. It was slightly disturbing that she used to submit to him and obey his every command. It was nothing like her and it wasn't something that her friends would ever believe she'd do.

"I find it very... weird... that I'm sharing a bed with someone tonight." She commented lightly, scrunching up her nose as she voiced her thought.

"Weird?"

"I don't sleep next to people. I don't like it. People take up too much space, and they will fight for the blanket with me." She explained.

"So, you don't want to sleep with me?" He looped his arm around her waist, pulled his body closer to her, resting his cheek against her hip, he awaited her response. "I want to sleep with you, though." He continued when she only hummed without giving a verbal response. "It's refreshing for me to have a girl in my room and in my bed."

"It only dawned on me that we're really doing this," she confessed, "I've actually never been serious about a guy before. All of them were just fuck buddies being labelled as my boyfriend just to keep things simple."

"I've actually dreamed about this moment for a while now." He admitted. "I don't know what it'll feel like to sleep next to someone, but I'm rather excited." He grinned, tugging at her, waiting for her to settle next to him.

She fell asleep with his arms around her waist, her back against his chest; him spooning her. He knew she was asleep within minutes and he almost chuckled at how fast this girl could sleep. Closing his eyes, he buried his face into the crook of her neck. For the first time, he felt content.

Just when he about to fully fall into deep sleep, the girl in his arms stirred. He loosened his grip on her so she could twist and turn without waking up. His eyes remained close but he was now wide awake. He could feel her turning, so he turned to lay on his back to give her more space to move. She wasn't joking when she said she took up a lot of space when she sleeps.

Trying to fall back to sleep again, an arm flung itself onto his chest, creeping up to his shoulder and curling around it as she snuggled closer to him. He pulled her closer to him so they could snuggle properly. Then, she placed one of her legs atop of his, as if seeking for heat.

"Hmm… teddy bear." She mumbled against his chest as she moved her head on to him. Opening his eyes, he peered down at the mop of brown hair with bleach at the end. She looked so peaceful. It was his favorite sight and he would sometimes find himself at her door when it was left ajar to watch her sleep.

Smoothing her cheek and running his fingers through her hair, he heard her sigh contentedly, adjusting her position moving to the center of the his chest. Using him as a pillow, she finally slept and finally allowed him to fall into peaceful sleep. The first he had in many years.

…

The first and only time that he belted Anastasia was when she got caught drinking with Kate by him. That night, he had the faintest feeling that something wasn't right, and for some reason, his mind immediately went to Anastasia. It was a weekday, and he didn't need his submissive, but he still checked his phone. There was no missed calls, no messages or any voicemails, but something still felt off. He tried to assure himself that it was fine and distract himself by turning back to work, but he just couldn't sit still. Finally, he picked up his phone and tracked Anastasia's cell.

"Fuck," he cursed when he saw that she was in the club once again. Relief only washed over him when he saw that it was the Mile High. Scurrying out of his office, he jumped into the elevator and went for his sports car. He never liked the idea of her drinking, but he knew he couldn't stop her from doing so because it was a weekday and nothing in their contract was stopping her from going out with her friends.

In his car, he called Taylor informing him for his whereabouts and told him to stay put. Then called his brother. A simple call to the Mile High could tell him that Anastasia was at the club with her best friend and roommate, Kate. The girl was persistent when she hounded him for the interview, and he would give credits to her natural talent as a journalist, but that still didn't change his feelings about the press in general.

When he arrived at the Mile High and met up with his brother, he instantly spotted the two girls. Kate was beyond wasted, and Anastasia, although drunk, was still conscious and wide awake. He told Elliot to go get Kate not wanting to risk being associated with Anastasia. His brother didn't question and surged forward for his girl. Christian mingled into the crowd so that he could approach Anastasia without being seen by his brother. When Elliot carried an unconscious Kate out of the club, he finally stepped out from the shadow and caught up with Anastasia who was still sitting at the same spot nursing what looked like a Cosmo.

"Anastasia," he called out when Elliot texted him telling him that he was taking Kate home and asked him to take Anastasia back. The girl looked up answering to the call of her name. When she saw that it was her Dominant, she scowled then looked away, avoiding making eye contact with him.

When he finally got her to leave after she finished her Cosmopolitan in one gulp, he helped her to his car and got her into the passenger's seat. She buckled up, even though her movements were a little clumsy and slow but she seemed coherent and conscious. On their way to his penthouse, he lectured her on drinking during the weekdays and without protection, lecturing her on the importance of her own safety. He thought his words had fallen on deaf ears when he turned around only to see her passed out in her seat.

Sighing, he carried her to the submissive's bedroom and changed her. He sat next to her, just watching her sleep. It was peaceful and soothing but it frustrated him that the girl's action would worry him so much that he couldn't focus with work.

The next day, when she woke up with a heavy hangover because she didn't drink an ounce of water after her last drink. Taking the Advil that was placed next to her bed, she crept downstairs, wanting to thank Christian for taking care of her even though it wasn't needed because if he didn't pick her up, she wouldn't have allowed herself to pass out until she got to her apartment. She asked about Kate and was reassured that she was taken care of.

He gave her an earful about going out clubbing with no regards to her own safety whatsoever, and declared that she was in need of a punishment for putting herself in danger. She was going to reason with him, but she knew it wouldn't be wise given the mood that he was already in, so she accepted it. When she saw that it was the belt, she was prepared to safe-word the moment she couldn't find pleasure from it, but she was saved from safe-wording because for some reason, he stopped when they got three strikes.

…

Standing there in the middle of the room that belonged to the submissives, Leila had both of her arms falling casually to her sides but with a flashlight in one of her light. Christian arrived at the door way not long after hearing her screams. It was in the middle of the night, and Christian was an insomniac; he was working.

He heard a scream then a bang from the submissive's room so he dashed upstairs to check it out…

He mentally rolled his eyes when he realized that it came from Leila. He didn't know why he kept her, perhaps he was just too desperate, because she had been putting his security cameras in his house in good use for too many times. He had already lost count of just how many times had he caught her snooping around and lurking near his closed bedroom door over the camera, not to mention that he had caught her in his bedroom twice.

When he arrived at the opened doorway, all he could see was the strong white light emitting from the device held in Leila's hand. Some of the lights shone to her jaw, a shadow faintly outlining her lips and a bit of her nose. Her hair fell against her face covering her forehead and her eyes; it fell like a curtain only allowing light to emit from beneath the opening.

"What are you doing, Leila?" He all but demanded in his Dominant voice. With his submissives there wouldn't be another voice for them, it would always be the same stern tone; it was the only way for him to maintain his stance and ensure his power.

Leila didn't respond or react to his inquiry, she simply remained rooted in her place. He took a step forward, not stepping into the room but also not outside of the threshold.

"Leila?" He called again. This time, her head jerked up, but her eyes looked hollow and blank. He could see it reflecting the lights in the hallway. Her mouth hung open as she looked at him agape.

"Master is here," she said, her voice merely louder than a whisper. Her eyes were looking up in his direction but appeared to look right past him as if he didn't exist. "Master doesn't do love." She continued to speak in the same soft tone that she had first used.

"Go back to bed, Leila." Christian ordered, this time his tone louder and firmer.

Leila didn't move. Her hair was still covering her face and the light was still in her hand, her chin was still the only place struck by the light. She looked like a ghost that was hanging down from the ceiling. Her bare feet on the ground almost covered up by the long, loose white gown that she wore to sleep.

He didn't know what to do but he knew he didn't have all day and he would have to make sure she would go back to sleep. He stepped forward, approaching the figure in the middle.

"Master," her tone faltered the moment he reached her. Without even touching her when he lifted his arms in an attempt to force back into bed, she turned around sharply and bolted for the bed, jumping right on it and sat with the blanket crumbled in her fists in front of her chest.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, Leila?" He demanded, but there was no response from her.

"I want Master, but Master doesn't want me." She whispered to herself, lowering herself to the mattress and pulled the cover up, tucking herself in and turned to her side. She closed her eyes and slept, as if nothing had happened.

The next day, when Christian asked her about it, she told him that she didn't know what had happened. But, when he showed her the security tape that he had clipped out over the night, she gasped and started to ramble about how she had a habit of sleep-walking.

"You sleepwalk and you didn't think it's an issue that I should've been informed about when we negotiated the contract?" He furrowed his eyebrows at her, he was more annoyed than angered by her confession, especially when she said that she had just remembered that bit of information about herself.

"I- I forgot, Master." She squeaked, "it hadn't happened in a long time, so I thought I was done with sleepwalking." She explained, hoping to ease Christian's anger. She'd rather be punished right now than to sit in his office, because this only meant one thing.

"This is unacceptable, Miss Williams." He berated, "I can't have you sleepwalking in the middle of the night, roaming around my apartment. You don't even know when it happens and you don't have a way of keeping it under control."

"What choices do I have now, Master?" Her lips quivered nervously as she waited for him to say the words.

"I am terminating our contract." He declared, just like she had anticipated. "I can't afford to have you sleepwalking through my apartment, it's a security hazard and it's just too unpredictable. I won't have it." He explained, not bringing up past misdemeanors from her thinking that this girl probably already had enough to deal with.

"Yes, I understand, Master." There was nothing that she could do other than to accept his proposal to end the contract.

"Do you wish to perform?" He asked, following the protocol on the contract.

"I'd like to leave this CD with you, if that's okay with you." She looked up to read his expression in order to check with him. He nodded. "May I also request Master to read the note attached to it?" She asked and he accepted it. He was about to open it to read the note but she spoke again. "Can Sir please open it after I'm gone." He looked at her and then back at the small case in his hand, he nodded, agreeing to her entreaty.

She moved to her hometown, Savannah, Georgia with her parents after Christian ended their contract and she didn't have anything in mind but to pursue her passion for art and go to an art school. She would admit to anyone in a heartbeat that she had fell for Christian Grey, but she wouldn't risk jeopardizing his reputation by talking. She would honor their agreement and forget about him and about their history. She had learned to accept that it was only a temporary fixture for them.

Despite from having an unhinged habit of sleepwalking, she was his favorite submissive. She knew when to act witty and when to act submissive. She didn't have the smart mouth like Anastasia, but she knew how to coax him. She knew when to do what to please him and she knew what buttons to press when he needed a release.

In Savannah, she had started to hear about stories of Carla Adams's only child, Anastasia Steele. From what she had gathered, she was an idol, an icon for the current generation. She was famous on Instagram, had her own hashtag and even several fan account. Carla's closest relatives also didn't shy away from the spotlight that she brought, they basked in it and took the opportunity to share any and all stories about Anastasia; even some of her childhood photos were posted.

Leila's next goal changed from being a successful, well-known industrial fashion designer to the first person to actually illustrate a painting of the famous Instagram 'it' girl... the portrait would incorporate industrial fashion ideas and the main character, Leila thought it would be a perfect fit, she just needed to meet this mysterious girl. To start with, she befriended Carla's brother, Bob Adams, a local businessman.

…

Christian's lifestyle was never exposed, and Elena had been supplying him with girls. He knew he should cut any contacts with her, but in his busy life and with his reputation he couldn't step out to hunt for submissives. He made sure to only rely on Elena to an extent.

It wasn't until her last submissive that made him realized what Elena was really doing. He was lucky that his actions brought all the support that he might need from his previous submissives. When Susannah told him about a sub-club that Elena was trying to set up with the goal of damaging his reputation in mind, all of his subs vouched for him and vowed that they'd never lie about anything that wasn't true about Mr Grey.

"I'm really glad that you've brought this to my attention, Miss Deyanira." He appreciated her gesture, and she had always know that he was a reasonable man, but what bothered her the most was the fact that he refused to address her by her first name other than when they were playing.

He had admitted that he saw her as a friend outside of the playroom. They had shared their own personal anecdotes with each other during the past two months of their relationship. He had considered her a friend and vice versa.

Truth to be told, he had considered going on to first name basis with Susannah, but that never left his mouth because the thought of him getting too personal with his submissives still wouldn't sit well with him and he was simply not comfortable with the idea of a sub calling him by his first name when they were outside of the playroom.

Susannah was a submissive with some baggage, perhaps not as significant as Anastasia's… she was a natural brunette but with green eyes, which differed her from the other submissives. She was unique in her own way, and Christian could understand why men fall at her feet. He would've dated her if he wasn't so adamant about dating. He could see her as a girlfriend material; she was understanding, caring and kind, not to mention, very nice and forthcoming.

"I'm not looking for a relationship," she announced the moment they sat down to negotiate the contract.

"No worries, I don't do romance either. This is purely sexual, and strictly platonic." He agreed.

"Okay, it's good that we're on the same page and got it out of the way."

The way she had insisted on clearly defining their relationship had made Christian curious, he was curious about her story. He wanted to know what made her so insistent on making it clear that everything they do would be with no strings attached.

He asked one day, and she shared her story, after making him promise that it'd remain between the two of them.

"In short, my previous Dom was also my boyfriend. We started out as a couple but then decided to spike up our sex life, so we turned to BDSM. We both found out that we enjoy this lifestyle, so we kept this in the bedroom." Christian nodded as he listened. "Everything was great in the beginning, but as we play more he started to get off on the control that being a Dominant seemed to give, and he started to drop hints that he wanted a TPE relationship."

Christian could already guess where this story would go, but he didn't interrupt her. Her experience was the exact reason why he avoided romance like a plague, because it would complicate everything in his life.

"I don't agree to this new arrangement and I told him so. He didn't like it, obviously, so he started to force me into this TPE lifestyle and started to treat me as his slave. I felt that our relationship had started to become toxic and I felt suffocated, so I escaped during one of his impromptu trips. He had been trying to hunt me down, but he had been unsuccessful with tracking me since I moved out of the state."

They had also broached the subject of Elena Lincoln. Much to his displeasure but he had admitted it out loud to her that Elena was a deceiving, manipulative and cunning bitch who wanted to get back at him and retain control over him by supplying him submissives. He knew he should've steered clear of that old hag long ago, and although he did what he could to prevent Elena from sinking her claws into his skin too deep, the damage had been done. She may have a law-binding NDA hovering above her head, she could still gather the girls.

Susannah terminated their contract not long after sharing her stories about her previous relationships, she told him that she needed to get out of the country because she still felt insecure in the country knowing that he could get to her. Christian offered protection for her but she declined, she didn't want to drag into her drama, and he backed down understanding that she was only protecting him. She left the country on the next flight out, not wasting another minute in the border after ending their contract. Before she left, she warned him about Elena, and explained her theory to him about her being a potential threat in the future and told him to beware.

...

Before Christian fell asleep, what Anastasia told him before settling into bed had started to bug him. He hadn't realized it at the time, but now that he'd thought of it, something sounded off.

"If I didn't promise you that I can refrain from sex for twenty-four hours, I'd be all over you now." He cuddled her closer, feeling her eye lashes brushing against his chest. It felt a little itchy but at the same time, he liked it.

"It'd get really messy if you pounce on me." She mumbled in her position on his chest. "I'm on my period." She elaborated.

"Do I look like I care?" He stroke her hair, "nothing would stop me from wanting you. I lust for you all the time, Anastasia."

"Maybe shower sex sounds like a better option then." She replied.

When she first told him about her period. Something felt off when she said she was on her period, but he couldn't quite put it. It only dawned on him now that it was the first time in three months that she told him about her bleeding. She told him that she was on the pill from time to time to regulate her mensural cycle. He asked her if she had considered the shot, but she insisted that nothing would happen and she didn't want to mess with her hormones.

He wondered what she wasn't telling him...

No one likes waiting, I know, and I'm sorry that you all had to wait so long for this.

In my defense, everything is on the verge of crashing down, which is why I stopped updating (it's not because I don't have the next chapter ready), but because I simply don't have any motivation to post. When shit hits the fans in real life, writing is my escape, but sharing them is just the last thing on my mind. Sometimes even the best work on this site isn't able to distract me. I'm mostly done with the twenty-four hours but there's still a sequel that I think is much needed in order to fully conclude this story.

Please understand that I'm not abandoning my story. Not even The Elite Bachelor is abandoned.

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